Peer Reviewed

Researchers at the University of Osaka found that Bofutsushosan, a Kampo medicine used for obesity, reduced fibrosis-related changes in fat tissue and the liver of aged male mice. Cell experiments suggested that Bofutsushosan also had a direct effect on fibrosis-related signals, partly through the TGF-β/SMAD2/3 pathway. Four ingredients showed particularly strong anti-fibrotic activity, while some mineral ingredients showed the opposite effect under cell-culture conditions. Adjusting the formula strengthened the suppression of some fibrosis-related markers in cultured cells. However, the modified formulas have not been tested in animals or people, and further research is required before the findings can guide treatment.

Researchers from the University of Osaka found that hepatocyte-derived extracellular vesicles treated with sPLA2 (SPLEVs) induce a lipid counterstorm that counteracts cytokine storm in mice with acute respiratory distress syndrome. SPLEVs also demonstrated significant beneficial effects in mouse models of sepsis, coagulopathy, liver injury, colitis, and pneumonia. As lysophosphatidylglycerols were identified as a key mediator of SPLEV activity, these findings suggest a promising approach for developing inexpensive, cell-free anti-inflammatory treatments.

Hiroshima University researchers show that natural tooth count serves as a prognostic marker associated with long-term overall survival following pancreatectomy for the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Grounding intermittent art festivals such as the Setouchi Triennale within the resource capacities and social thresholds of the island communities that host them is a path to the sustainable long-term revitalization of these communities.

Researchers at National Taiwan University engineer an ENDOG anchoring on mitochondrial surface, namely MOM-ENDOG, which expression efficiently degrades the viral RNA transcripts synthesized at mitochondrial sites without causing nuclear DNA damages. Delivery of modified mRNA encoding wild-type but not catalytic-dead MOM-ENDOG markedly suppresses the propagation of VSV, Influenza, Dengue, and Zika virus.

Accessible group programs could combat mental decline in older adults

Researchers from the University of Osaka and collaborating institutions developed an autonomous solid-state nanopore that combines sensing, memory, and signal generation in a single device. Unlike conventional nanopores, the sensor continually reshapes itself through chemical reactions, producing unique electrical signatures as molecules pass through, providing a basis for memory. The device successfully identified a variety of nucleotides and amino acids, providing a new platform for molecular sensing and future iontronic computing.

First to demonstrate that the sequence of immune-cell exposure can determine glioblastoma treatment response

In a breakthrough clinical trial undertaken by Australian biotechnology company Marinova, a unique seaweed extract has been shown to relieve the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Using direct electrical recordings from individual lysosomes, researchers discovered that sugar chains attached to the lysosomal ion channel TPC2 act as a molecular brake. Because TPC2 dysfunction has been linked to viral infections, neurodegenerative disorders and cancer, the findings may provide a new framework for understanding disease mechanisms and developing more targeted ways to regulate lysosomal signaling.

Researchers developed a terbium-doped aluminum gallium nitride LED that produces blue, green, yellow, and red light from the same area at room temperature. The emission wavelengths remained highly stable as the current changed. Increasing the aluminum content improved energy transfer and efficiency, while using an aluminum nitride base layer enhanced crystal quality and device performance. With further improvements, this approach could simplify the production of full-color micro-LED displays and contribute to compact displays, wearable devices, and white-light sources.

Enables precise editing of both nuclear and mitochondrial genes while dramatically reducing off-target effects to ensure therapeutic safety

- Professor Byung Chang Suh’s team becomes the first in the world to uncover the mechanism that regulates “calcium channels,” which are essential for neural signal transmission - Presents a key milestone for developing new therapeutics for intractable brain disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, autism spectrum disorder, and epilepsy - Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a world-renowned scientific journal

Researchers at the University of Osaka have developed a new mathematical framework that helps identify optimization problems that can be solved efficiently using optical computing hardware. The approach allows complex, high-dimensional problems to be transformed into forms compatible with spatial photonic Ising machines and can also accelerate computation using fast Fourier transforms. These findings could broaden the applications of optical computing to areas such as logistics, data analysis, and infrastructure optimization.

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo experimentally demonstrate unique optical behavior from a long-sought aperiodic pattern

Development of a new spandex-based hybrid polymer binder enables the fabrication of high-performance thick-film electrodes for high-energy-density batteries.

Despite our knowledge of supermassive blackholes far from complete, astronomers have long known that they produce violent winds. But a recent discovery has shown that these winds are more powerful than previously thought, 100 times more powerful, to be precise. High-precision observations of gas surrounding a black hole 3.4 billion light-years from Earth showed that the winds carry energy across distances of approximately 300,000 light-years, impacting surrounding galaxies.

Researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo reveal how limited resources can cause sudden changes in the way organisms process information

Researchers at the University of Osaka have developed a method to build stable, tubular hydrogel structures at the arteriole scale. Using a technique called meniscus-guided interfacial ring-by-ring assembly, UV light is used to form ring-shaped structures at an oil–hydrogel interface, which combine to form hollow tubes. Different tubes could be created with good stability, controlled sizes, complex shapes, and multi-component structures. These structures could help to create vascular networks for artificial tissue models.

First empirical study using 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake data to prove the economic reconstruction impact of transport network restoration

When plastics are recycled, their strength gets weakened over time as the long molecular chains gradually break down under repeated exposure to heat and moisture. However, a research group has added a chain extender to the recycling process, allowing polymer chains to reconnect, and a plastic tensile strength to return to normal.

Researchers find that fluctuations in nanopore structure are the key factor influencing their performance

Contactless Short-Term Memory Control via Surface Acoustic Waves Demonstrates the Potential of Next-Generation Low-Power Neuromorphic Semiconductors

SUTD researchers, together with international collaborators, have built a chip that writes, sorts, and electrically reads information stored in the “valleys” of an atomically thin material—all at room temperature and without bulky laboratory optics.

Have you ever felt strangely exhausted after waking up from a dream? Researchers took a look at how the brain allocates energy during sleep to explain this “paradoxical sleep.”

Prof. Young Dok Kim’s team at SKKU maximizes CO2 conversion performance via cerium induction

A simple electrical measurement can map promising alloy compositions in seconds

"Too Many Aid Agencies Breed Corruption"… SKKU Team Becomes World's First to Prove the Paradox of 'Aid Fragmentation'

Researchers at Academia Sinica and National Taiwan University used advanced methyl NMR spectroscopy to reveal how dozens of cancer-associated mutations disrupt the long-range communication network that enables the tumor suppressor BAP1 to function, creating the largest experimental molecular map of BAP1 mutations to date. The findings uncover a previously hidden mechanism underlying cancer-associated BAP1 dysfunction and provide a foundation for developing future therapies that target protein dynamics and allosteric regulation rather than the active site alone.

New imaging technique visualizes and measures plasmonic waves in device structures designed for practical uses